Grease filters are used in commercial and residential kitchens in order to filter fatty particles and/or grease that become airborne during cooking operations. This is important in order to prevent the deposit of fat in and around the oven or cooking surfaces which could increase the risk of fire. Further, it helps reduce maintenance and cleaning operations in the area of the oven and cooking surfaces. This is necessary because fatty particles include fatty acids which can have a strong corrosive effect on various components in and around the cooking area, including the ventilator hood and the air moving components.
Prior known devices provide a mesh, baffles, cyclonic and/or labyrinth filters, typically made from stainless steel or aluminum, in order to remove fatty particles suspended in the air during cooking.
Of the known filters, typically in commercial operations a removable and cleanable baffle or labyrinth filter is provided which can be made of aluminum, stainless steel, or galvanized steel, with stainless steel being preferred due to its long life based on its resistance to corrosive effects. These known filters work on the principle of having the air flow carrying the fatty particles passing through openings and having to turn through a tortuous or labyrinth-type path during which time the fatty particles are separated onto the surfaces of the baffles. The main characteristic of the tortuous path or labyrinth-type filters is that the air flow changes direction more than one time and due to these changes in direction, the fatty particles are deposited onto the baffle surfaces. Such known filters are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,244 which provides a fat removing labyrinth filter that is suitable for use in a kitchen ventilator and which is described as being easily assembled and disassembled for cleaning. However, this assembly and disassembly involves separating multiple generally sheet-shaped baffles from one another.
It would be desirable to provide a more efficient means of removing fatty particles suspended in air that is lightweight and easily dis-assembleable for cleaning and that provides good filtration of fatty particles from the air flow with low head loss.